Vehicle washing tank



Dec. 4, 1928. 1,694,197

M. D. wooumNG VEHICLE WASHING TANK Filed oct. 10.71925 2 sheets-sheet 1 lill!! |ll] ill i I illll E Y Aff/ner Q Woaq'l//y TTORNE Y VEHICLE WASHING TANK Nm ct. 10, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 e power or a itatin Patented Dec. 4,'14928.

' UNITED STATES imma n. woonnne, or Kansas cI'rY, MISSOURI.

VEHICLE WASHING TANK.

Application ma october 1o, 192s. serm No. scuse.

This inventionl relates to motor -vehicle washing tanks and the primary object of the invention isto provide a tank into which a be driven, the car furnishing the liqluid in the tank to remove dust, irt an ot er extraneous 'matter vfrom the wheels and the lower portion f the body.

sothat it'may contain a cleaning liquid such as clear water, suds, oil and water or any other suitable liquid which will remove adhering particles from -the wheels and body, the rotation of the drive wheels causing the liquid within the tank to agitata so that its movement against the car .parts will loosen the adhering particles and means is provided whereby the motion of thedrive wheels, for example, the rear wheels, may be communicated to the front wheels.

This method of cleaning the car will cause theparticles to be removed from the car parts without liability of scratching, which occurs where chamois cloths, Sponges and the like are rubbed over the parts to be cleaned. It

also enables the carto be cleanedin an inexpensive and eilicient manner.

While the car is being operated in the tank to agitata the water, another operator can i spray olf the topand sides above the water level in the tank; the operation of cleaning the topj being simultaneous with the operation of cleaning the bottom. Therefore, the car can be `cleaned in a very short time and all objectionable matter can be thoroughly removed.

. The novel construction ofone form of tank will be clearly understood by-reference to the following description in connection with the i 40 accompanying drawin s, in which-e Fig. 1 is a vertical, ongitudinal, sectional' view on the line l-lof Fig. 2, showing a car in place.

Fig. 2 is` a top 1an view of a tank constructed in accor ance with my invention,

and

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view on the line 3-3 of Filg. 2.

The tan 1 is'shown as substantlally reci tangular and it may consist of any material but for convenience I refer to build it as a pit of concrete or similar material, the top of the tank being preferably level with the floor of the garage or building in which it is located.

The opposite ends of the tank are provided According to my invention the tank is builtV with runways 2 and 3, which support tracks for the wheels of the vehicle. The runway 2 supports channel-shaped tracks 4 and 5, and similar tracks 6 and 7 are supported by the runway 3. l

In line with the tracks and longitudinally of the tank are channel members Sand 9, the flanges of which are of suflicient heights to guide the wheels of the vehicles through the tank so that there can be no sidewise movement of the vehicle to cause it to dro into the bottom of the tank. It is understoo that the j channels 8 and`9 are supported above the bottom of the tank and preferably upon shoulders or abutments at the ends of the tank.

Fastened to the flatgside flanges of the channels 8 and 9 are supporting plates 1() and 11. These extend only part way throughout the length of the channels and at the rear ends of the plates 10 and 1i are sets of rollers 13 and 14, which ma be journaled in the anges of the channe s 8 and 9, as will be clearly seen by reference to Figs, 1 and 2.

Idler pulleys 15 and 16 are journaled in the Y channels 8 and 9 and around these pulleys pass endless belts 17 and 17', the upper runs of the belts traveling over'the plates 10 and 1v1. The belts will be substantially in line with the tracks 4, 5, 6 and 7 and the belts are preferably provided with cleats 18 and the runways 4, 5, 6 and 7 are provided with similar cleats 18.

Transversely of the tank and supported by the channels 8 and 9 is aber 19, u on which is pivoted a front axle-supporting rame consisting of the side bars 20 and 2 1 connected together at 22 at their front ends. The front V ends of the frame at22 is provided with a hook 23 to engage a link in the chain 24 of Vablock and chain hoist which has a hanger Oli,

25, movably supported on an Lbeam 26 suspended from a support or celingso that, the block and chain can be moved out of the way of the car when the car is -moving into or out f the tank. A oleaningliquid 27 can be supplied in th tank, the level of ywhich is above the channels y and preferably maintained so that it will reach the axles of the car when the car is driven into the tank. Then when the liquid is a itated, it will -be splashedv against the w eels and against the lower portion of the car so as to soften and remove adhering particles. l

Assuming the parts to be assembled withthe requisite amount of cleaning fluid or liquid in the tank, the driver either drives intoor backs into the'tank so that the wheelspass over the-belts. The rear wheels will rest upon ing upon' the plates 10 and 11. Then the, operator connects the chain 24 to the'hook 2 3 those portions of the-belts which are suppl-ortont ed by the rollers 13 and 14, and the wheels will be supported upon thebelts restand by raising the frame consisting -of the a tank ora of tanks in a comparatively shorttime. ,Thegdriv'er -can drive into the garage,vinto the tank, operate his car, drive out'of the tank and in a very few minutes-have side bars and 21, the, front axle ofthe car` is slightly raised so that the belts will not rest upon the plates 10 and 11. The belts -vvill'be in intimate contact withV the peripheries of the front wheels, however, so that when the belts move, the front wheels' will move. The operator then o erates his carjust as if he lwere driving. T e rotation of the rear wheels will impart a. rotative movement to the belt. The rear wheels, being partl submerged below the surface of the li ui will causea violent agitation to throwt e liquid against the bottom of the car. The belts will impart rotative movements to the front wheels which will cause violent agitation of the liquid to .throw it a ainst the bottom of lthe carat the front. T ecar need be operated either in reverse or: forward only 4for a very short time before the rough or heavy particles are'removed.

If the owner wishes a more refined cleaning.

operation he can either'back or drive his -moother tank in whichl suds s are provided, or he may drive into a tank of similar construction in which 4water and kerosene is the cleaning liquid. If water and kerosene are provi ed, the kerosene will rise to the top and be splashed against the vehicle so that the heavy oils, tar. etc., will be cut from the sur:v

face of the v'ehicle; this treatment being especially desirable for dissolving or cuttingout he heav particles which are thrown up by the whee s and which adhere to the bottom of a car in driving over roadways.

`Finally the car can be run through a rinsing tank and then wiped'o when thel finish will be perfectly clean.

operation.

In actual practice the car can passthrough Of course, during the time that the caris stationary in one of the tanks, the top willv be sprayed olf and the windows clea` ed so that there is no loss of time in the cleaning the rough material removed fromA his Icar.

Ofcourse, itis to be understood that whenf- `the driver is to drive his car out ofthe tank,

the frame holding the front axle can be low-- ered until the front wheels rest upon .the belts with the belts ilat on their plates 10 and 11.'.

Then the rear wheelswill not beable' to drive the belts on account of the friction of the belts lagainst their plates; Traction, will then be a :tor vehicle out and propel the car into anorded so that the ofthe tank. i

When the chain is released fr'o'm the `hook 23, the chainand tackle canbe movedout of the way of the 'car by sliding the hanger on the bracket or support 26.` ,i v

From the foregoing it will vbe apparent that carcan be moved out the device is simple 1n construction, easynn` operation and that the bottom of the' car can be cleaned in an eiiicient manner by operating the car .itself within the tank.-

What I claim and desire to secure by Let. 'ters Patent is.: v n i .i

apparatus comprising 1. A car washing a tank, means for guiding a motor vehicle into the tank, channeled rails forming a trackway su portedv by the tank above the bottom thereo with the channels facing1 endless belts having their up er in in the channelsin `the rai s, idlers at one e'n of the tank on which the u per laps of the ybelts rest, anda vehicle-li g mechanism at the opposite end of the tank.

2. A car washingl apparatus comprisinga tank, means for supporting a niotor vehicle in the tank, inclined channeled guides leading to said means, said supporting means including mi 7 upwardly, aps travelan endless belt for receiving, the vehicle wheels, and `rotatable means under the rear wheels for su porting'the belt, said belt being adapted or communicating the rotative 

